Waatea 5th Estate – The ongoing housing affordability crisis

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The Daily Blog
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Joining us to discuss the ongoing housing affordability issues in NZ

In the studio, media commentator – Dr Wayne Hope

On Skype – Labour Party spokesperson on Housing – Phil Twyford

And on the phone from Northland Social Housing – Ricky Houghton and South Auckland community board member – Efeso Collins

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2 COMMENTS

  1. Phil Twyford cannot be trusted, he has been flirting with the NZ Initiative, the successor of the Business Round Table, and he has even quoted developers Ockham Holdings, who want massive intensification, as little rules as possible and a developer’s paradise in Auckland.

    http://nzinitiative.org.nz/Media/Opinion_and_commentary/Opinion_and_commentary.html?uid=1122

    Quote:
    “•Free up density and height controls and rely more on high urban design standards including requirements for open and green space, to allow more affordable housing in the city. Let the market discover where and how people want to live.”

    So leave it to the market, heh?

    Even many Standardistas seem to fall for his populist talk and BS:
    http://thestandard.org.nz/twyford-on-solutions-to-the-housing-crisis-in-auckland/

    Let us look at the crucial bits he argues, freeing up “restrictions”, blaming it himself now on planning rules, and the RMA, what a damned hypocrite he is, typical of Labour, I have NO faith in him, as I have followed the Unitary Plan Hearings here in Auckland, witnessed how developers exploit the situation, to push for ever less regulation and more liberal rules to build up ever higher and denser, minimum requirement now a 30 square metre studio flat, no minimum dwelling mix, no storage, hardly any requirement to store or park bicycles, and more money and profit to be made.

    NOBODY talks about the elephant in the room, rather unrestrained immigration by often qualified and well financed new residents, who want to buy and invest, not just speculators, and the uncontrained immigration mostly into Auckland will keep prices up.

    Newbuilds will NOT be cheaper, as also apartment buildings cost more per square metre to build, we are just opening up Pandora’s box further, to more immigration, more intensification, more environmentally damaging and unsustainable “growth” that simply cannot be afforded in Auckland anymore.

    There is not even the water to supply another million people:
    https://www.watercare.co.nz/SiteCollectionDocuments/AllPDFs/Waikato-River-Fact-Sheet.pdf

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/66519932/Auckland-water-application-could-take-up-to-a-year-to-process

    http://www.interest.co.nz/rural-news/68247/waikato-farmers-worry-about-increased-allocation-water-supply-aucklands-urban-needs

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/66429528/Hamilton-councillor-uncomfortable-with-Watercare-Services-encroachment

    Twyford is not much better than Smith, also falling for the growth mantra of actually unsustainable growth in a region that is reaching its natural resource limits.

    A desalination plant would cost billions, be prohibitive, but all continue to give in to more immigration, into Auckland, while we should require migrants to move to the regions and while the government should develop the regions more, to spread the pressures.

    Like National, Labour do NOT have the answers, I fear.

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